HSLS HEAD: GOVT SHOULD HELP MESIC, NOT DEL PONTE

ZAGREB, June 12 (Hina) - The president of the Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS), Drazen Budisa, said in an interview for Friday's issue of the Vecernji List daily, that the Croatian government should have "sided with the head of state" in the Gotovina case. #L# In the interview headlined "Government Should Help Mesic and Not Carla Del Ponte", Budisa positively assessed an interview General Ante Gotovina gave to the Nacional weekly and President Stjepan Mesic's urging the UN war crimes tribunal to revise the indictment against the fugitive general. "While the president has founded reasons to ask that Gotovina's indictment be revised, the government's reaction is paradoxical," Budisa said. "The government hails the initiative but believes it has no meaning," said Budisa and wondered in whose interest was the government's stand to applaud the initiative while, on the other hand, it sends a message to the ICTY Prosecution that in reality it did not back it. The HSLS leader believes the government must admit it had made a mistake and should stand down. "We requested of the government to assume responsibility, but we have no illusions. By its own mistake and sloppy moves, this government has changed the balance of power in parliament, it become illegitimate because it is not supported by the will of the electorate and it is unrealistic to expect of this government to behave in line with principles. But what must be requested of the government is to now side with the head of state," Budisa said, adding this government was not grown to cooperate with the ICTY. Budisa said his party insisted on establishing responsibility of both the former HDZ government and the incumbent government in the Gotovina case. He recalled the case of former Yugoslav People's Army Admiral Milan Zec whose indictment was withdrawn by the ICTY, and said the same could be done in Gotovina's case. (hina) it